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Chapter 28.08 Plumbing Installations

Table of Contents

(Amended by Ordinance No. 181437, effective December 21, 2007.) All plumbing installations shall be designed and installed in accordance with the Oregon State Plumbing Specialty Code, the State of Oregon Residential Specialty Code, Title 25 and this Chapter. Permits and inspections shall be required for all plumbing work except as specifically exempted by Title 28.

Existing plumbing which was lawfully in place in the City of Portland as of January 1, 2008 or which was constructed or relocated under a valid permit after that date, shall be grandfathered as provided in Title 28.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 181437, effective December 21, 2007.) In addition to the requirements of the Plumbing Specialty Code and Title 25, the following specific requirements apply to plumbing installations for moorages, marinas and floating structures.

A. Sewage ejectors shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and the Oregon State Plumbing Specialty Code., except that the head pressure required by Section 3l8 K (6)(3) for testing drainage systems is reduced from l0 feet to 5 feet for ejectors installed at individual floating homes.

B. Flexible connectors for water lines shall be approved by the National Sanitation Foundation and be of the type approved for mobile home installations or marine use.

C. Piping materials must comply with the requirements of the Oregon State Plumbing Specialty Code and Title 25.

D. Continuously running water through the moorage supply line is an acceptable alternate to pipe insulation to avoid pipe freezing.

E. All flexible pressure sanitary sewer connections to and in the moorage dock pressure sanitary sewer system shall be, as a minimum, helically reinforced PVC, ultraviolet resistant, smooth inside and outside hose which shall remain flexible down to a temperature of minus four degrees Fahrenheit (- 4° F). Insert adapters from flex hose to rigid piping used in the pressure sanitary sewer system shall be plated steel, stainless steel, brass or aluminum with stainless steel hose clamps.

F. Backflow Protection. All water service connections regardless of size or type supplying water from the city distribution system to any type of floating structure, whether permanent or temporary, shall be equipped with an approved backflow prevention assembly. The type of backflow assembly required for service connections to facilities as described in Title 28 shall be a Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA). The backflow assembly shall be installed at the termination of the City distribution system and at the start of the private distribution system.

Services that supply water to fire sprinkler systems typically are not fully metered. The type of backflow assembly required for fire sprinkler applications shall be a Reduced Pressure Detector Assembly (RPDA).

Only State of Oregon Department of Human Services and Portland Bureau of Water Works approved assemblies may be installed. Applicable backflow assembly installation requirements shall comply with both the Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 333 and City of Portland Bureau of Water Works Title 21.

All plumbing work and materials used in association with the installation of a required backflow assembly on a potable water service line, shall be installed in accordance with the Oregon State Plumbing Specialty Code, Title 25 and this Chapter. All applicable permits and inspections shall apply except as exempted by other provisions of Title 28.

All backflow assembly installations whether installed on potable or non-potable water service lines shall be subject to inspection and approval by the Bureau of Water Works.

Backflow assemblies installed on service connections to floating structures that were installed before January 1, 2008 and are not on the State of Oregon Department on Human Services approved list of assemblies shall be allowed to remain in service as long as:

1. The type of assembly is commensurate with the degree of hazard as outlined in OAR 333-061-0070(6) (2007) and Bureau of Water Works backflow assembly installation requirements under Title 21.

2. The assembly is being properly maintained, tested at least annually and performs satisfactorily.

Assemblies of this type that need to be relocated, require more than minimum maintenance or are on services that are modified, changed size or remodeled shall be replaced with an approved assembly. Additionally, as outlined in Title 21 section 21.12.320 of the City code, approved assemblies may be required to be installed for new construction, where buildings or structures are remodeled, or where tenant improvements are made.